Protector mechanism for looms.



O.LEFEBRE.

PROTECTOR MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19. 1909.

Patented Feb.22,1910.

CHARLES LEFEIBRE, 0F LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS.

PROTECTOR MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

Application filed March 19, 1909. Serial No. 484,502.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES LEFEBRE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lawrence, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Protector Mechanism for Looms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention embodies specific improvements in automatic stopping means for looms.

The invention is especially adapted to be applied to what is known as the Knowles loom, and is in the form of attaching parts that may be readily secured to looms of this type already in use, and coacting with the protector rod to prevent banging off of the loom when the shuttle is not properly boxed.

As is well known, frequently the shuttle is not thrown into the shuttle box due to failure of the picker stick to operate with sufiicient force for the purpose, and the improper boxing of the shuttle gives rise to serious disadvantages which are avoided by means of the present invention.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following detail description and to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an end elevation showing the parts of the invention arranged in operative positions; Fig. 2 is a plan View bringin out more clearly the relative positions 0 the several parts; Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the clamp and the dagger carried thereby; Fig. 4 is a detail view of the trip member, and Fig. 5 is a detail view of the guide plate.

Throughout the following detail description and on the several figures of the drawings similar parts are referred to by like reference characters.

Referring to the drawings A denotes the frame of the machine, B the breast beam, and O the lay. On the lay C is mounted the protector rod 1 which carries the binder finger 2 that cooperates in the customary way with the binder for the shuttle box 3.

4t designates the shipper lever which is adapted to be moved in the customary manner in order to stop the machine when desired, being supported by the rock shaft 5 mounted in suitable bearings on the frame A of the loom. A knock-off lever 6 cooperates with the shipper lever A and is pivoted to the breast beam B in such a manner that one end of the knock-0E lever projects through a slot in an end portion of the frame A so as to readily engage the shipper lever 4 in order to actuate the latter in the operation of the automatic stopping mechanism. Arranged in roximity to the inner end of the knock-o lever 6 is a pivoted trip 7, of angular form the pivot of which comprises a screw 8 screwed firmly into the breast beam B. The trip 7 is formed at its pivoted extremity with an arm 7 arranged to engage the adjacent end of the knock-off lever 6 in order to impart pivotal movement to said lever when the trip 7 is actuated by means now to be described.

On the protector rod 1 adjacent to an end thereof is mounted a clamp 9 preferably comprising upper and lower clamp members receiving the protector rod therebetween and secured together by suitable fastenings 10. The lower clamp member of the clamp 9 is formed with a downwardly extending boss 11 having a transverse opening therein receiving an end of a dagger 12 arranged so as to engage the trip 7. The dagger 12 has its outer end beveled and its inner end bent downwardly and laterally, the lateral extremity passing through the opening in the boss 11 of the clamp 9. A set screw 13 threaded into an opening in the boss 11, which opening intersects that receiving the end of the dagger 12, is adapted to hold said dagger at a desired adjust ment.

The outer end of the trip 7 is of peculiar formation being provided with a head 7 formed with a grooved outer face with which the beveled extremity of the dagger 12 is adapted to engage. Normally the trip 7 is held in the position shown in Fig. 2 by means of a spring 14 one end of which is connected with an arm 15 secured to the pivoted end portion of the trip, the opposite end of the spring being secured to the breast beam B.

In the operation of the invention it will be observed that under normal conditions when the shuttle is boxed properly the binder finger 2 will be moved outwardly just as the dagger 12 moves into close proximity to the trip 7, in the motion of the lay C. Proper boxing of the shuttle therefore will move the dagger 12 into a position in which it will clear the head 7 of the trip 7 as the lay moves back and forth. Should the shuttle, however, not be properly boxed for. any reason whatever, it will be obvious that the binder finger 2 will not be forced outwardly in the customary way and the dagger 12 will thus be in a position to directly engage the grooved head 7 of the trip 7. When the trip 7 is engaged and actuated by the dagger 12, due to improper boxing of the shuttle or some similar cause, the knock-off lever 6 is operated by the arm 7 a of the trip and shifts the shipper lever 4: so as to automatically stop the machine, making it necessary for the operator of the loom to have the machine repaired before the same can be used. Likelihood of the loom banging off or the head motion being spoiled due to improper boxing of the shuttle when the picker stick loses its power, is entirely eliminated.

Secured to the inner side of the breast beam B is a plate 16 formed at its lower end with a recurved guide flange 17 located just above the grooved head 7 of the trip 7. The lower portion of the flange 17 forms an inclined guiding surface adapted to engage the outer end of the dagger 12 and positively insure the proper engagement of said dagger in the groove of the grooved head 7 under all conditions of service. Should the engaging end of the member 12 by any possibility not be positioned to properly strike the grooved head 7, the guide flange 17 will invariably cause the dagger to properly perfopm its function with respect to the art p It will be apparent from the foregoing that the provision of the guiding plate or device 16 is especially advantageous for when the shuttle only partially enters the box, the dagger will not be fully moved and hence, were it not for the plate 16, said dagger would be liable to strike the breast beam thereby smashing the protector mechanism and causing other damage. The guiding device 16 eliminates likelihood of the above injury to the machine and always insures that the dagger will be directed into operative position in order to efiect proper actuation of the protector mechanism.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In .a protector mechanism, means to stop the loom upon failure of a shuttle to box properly, including a trip member having a grooved portion, and an independent device mounted on the breast beam and adapted to cooperate with the point of the dagger to guide it into proper engagement with the grooved portion aforesaid.

2. In a protector mechanism, means to stop the loom upon failure of a shuttle to box properly, including a pivoted trip of angle formation, said trip having an outer portion provided with a groove and an arm projecting oppositely therefrom, a knock-off lever engaged by said arm, a spring connected with said trip to hold it in normal inoperative position, and an independent device mounted on the breast beam and adapted to cooperate with the point of the dagger to guide it into proper engagement with the grooved portion of the trip.

3. In combination, protector mechanism for looms, including a lay, a protector rod mounted thereon, a breast beam, a knock-off lever pivoted to the breast beam, a shipper lever operable by the knock-off lever, a trip pivoted to the breast beam and provided with an off-standing arm engageable with an end of the knock-off lever, a spring connecting the breast beam and trip for holding the trip in a predetermined position, a clamp secured to the protector rod and adjustable thereon, and a dagger mounted on said clamp and adjustable transversely with reference to the protector rod and adapted under certain conditions for engagement with the trip to move the latter so as to cause its arm to actuate the knock-off lever and shift the shipper lever, the trip having a grooved head with which the dagger is adapted to directly engage, anda guide on the breast beam arranged to direct the dagger into proper engagement with the trip.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GUSTAVE DUTHOIT, JULIUs VANDOORNE. 

